10 Best Graphic Design Board Games

Gift-giving during Christmas or birthdays can be made more special with the best graphic design board games.

Note though that the attractiveness of a game is rather subjective, so it depends on a person’s personal preferences.

An outstanding graphic design not only makes the game more attractive, but it makes it more effective.

Best graphic design board games make the user experience much easier and more special!

This means that the player will get a faster and better understanding of the game through the design.

The best graphic design board games are about placing the components in an aesthetically-pleasing look in the board games.

A quality design makes the game easier to follow so that players don’t lose time explaining parts of the game.

Below are ten choices for the best graphic design board games that enrich user experience.

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Tokaido

Tokaido is an ideal game for those who are looking to have a pleasant and relaxing time.

This game requires 2 to 5 players above the age of 8, and the playing time is about 45 minutes.

If you’re looking for a calming board game to play with your family or friends, then this is the right one.

The game is just walking along the road of Tokaido, which is from Kyoto to Edo (now Tokyo).

There are spots along the road, and you can collect different items at each one (e.g., panorama, meal, money, etc.).

You’ll have to collect items that complete different sets of experiences, and the more experiences you have, the more points you get.

The game’s action spaces mean different action opportunities such as collecting money, spending money, or participating in set collections.

The game is rather a Zen journey since it helps you stay in the moment and enjoy it.

You will go through a Zen-like experience that a white background of the board and the beautiful iconography provides.

Pros & Benefits

• Time-track mechanism: the last one goes first that makes players harmonize movements and wait for each other
• The rules are easy to learn for all ages, so it’s an ideal game for little kids. 
• The design of the game helps you feel peaceful and calm.  

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Tapestry

This product is great for those who love dealing with futuristic civilizations and the way things evolve.

It’s a game for 1 to 5 people above 12 years old, and it can take up to two hours.

The players can create their imaginary civilization through innovations in technology, science, the military, and exploration tracks.

These different tracks are called advancement tracks, which the players can choose independently from other players.

So, each player will have unique progress, and some might reach an advanced civilization much earlier than others.

In the beginning, each player chooses one specific civilization power and a capital city that the player uses to earn income and advancement.

For each turn, the player either earns money or resources (called income turn) or progresses in their tracks (advancement turn).

The player will go through different adventures such as increasing income, getting tapestry cards, and building a capital city.

In the end, if you have the most points, you’ll be the winner.

The players will end up with a unique civilization-one that never existed before.

The experience is enhanced through balanced artwork and excellent miniatures in one of the best graphic design board games, Tapestry.

Pros & Benefits

• The game can unfold in different ways each time you play, depending on your decisions in the income or advance turns
• The game comes with miniature buildings which make the civilization easy to imagine
• Strategic movements are rewarded in the game

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Parks

This product is great for those looking to learn more about the US national parks and/or see them without actually being there.

This game requires 1 to 5 players aged above ten and takes about 40 to 70 minutes to play a game.

The game goes down in a year covering four seasons.

The person who ends up with the most points after all the rounds end will be the winner.

Each player starts with two hikers, and they will continue their journey on the trail, which has basic and advanced levels.

You’ll use the season cards throughout the game, which have weather elements and global forces that affect your journey while collecting tokens.

The game has a Campfire token option that allows the players to stop at an occupied spot one or two times.

The players can get gear cards to get various abilities, and they can get canteen cards that give them power and resources.

All trails show the true spirit of the national park through outstanding artwork.

The artwork represents a major feature of the national park.

Pros & Benefits

• You can also play it solo, and you’ll only need to collect all tokens to win the game
• The right amount of variety in the game is exciting
• Two hikers per player allow you to try out new strategies for each

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CO2: Second Chance

CO2: Second Chance is the ideal board game for environmentalists who loves thinking about reaching sustainability.

A maximum of 4 people can play this game, all above the age of 12, and it can take up to 2 hours to play.

In the game, CO2 pollution is reaching high levels, so the government offers to fund any private company that can build a power plant based on clean resources.

Each player will have their power plant to compete to get government funding.

The players need to collect money, resources, and expertise to build their power plants.

Carbon emission permits are important to hold on to because they are limited for each region, and they can be bought and sold in the market.

The game has three main stages; proposal, implementation, and construction of the project.

The iconography echoes the urgent need for change towards clean energy sources that makes a powerful impact. 

The proposed projects are for a specific region of the world, which means that other players can advance your proposal.

Pros & Benefits

• It teaches social responsibility because each player is co-dependent on the other’ actions
• The design of the game makes the impact of the CO2 rise more significant
• High player interaction

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Cthulhu Wars

This board game is great for those looking to use different species to end the world.

The number of players is a maximum of 4 people aged above 14, and it doesn’t usually last for more than 2 hours.

The board for this game is large, and it illustrates the world’s map through detailed artwork.

Players use figurines of aliens, monsters, cultists, and other species for this game, and their detail-oriented design is impactful.

There are four factions in the game, each with six spell books that the players have to collect to win.

The factions have unique challenges for the players since they must pass them to get the spellbooks.

Each round has an action round where the players can use their power to complete different actions such as moving, going to a battle, and getting cultists.

The game’s kidnapping system is interesting because players can steal cultists from each other, and these cultists provide power.

Because each faction has unique criteria for winning, each game becomes unique and exciting.

Pros & Benefits

•  Victory is mainly dependent on the player’s strategy
• The game has many expansions which can allow up to 8 players for a game
• The whole board game design and composition captures your attention and makes the game more exciting

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Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar

This board game is great for those looking to build a brand-new Mayan civilization.

The game requires up to 4 players above 13 years old, and the playing time is around 90 minutes.

You’ll play as a specific Mayan tribe, and the main mechanism is to place the workers in different working spots.

You’ll complete tasks such as gathering food and resources, establishing monuments, and satisfying the Gods.

The board contains a large gear in the middle that represents the Mayan calendar.

The small gears are the Mayan ancient working locations such as religion, harvesting, resources, buildings, and actions.

You’ll start by placing three tribespeople on the board and using the two resources you receive at the beginning of the game.

You’ll place your tribespeople on the smaller gears, which will move according to the big gear movements.

The small gears have different tracks, and the higher the track is achieved, the more points you get.

You’ll win the game after the big gear takes a full round, and you have the highest number of points.

Pros & Benefits

• You can win the game in many ways based on your own strategic decisions (not on luck).
• The gear elements of the game make it exciting and unique
• A lot of unexpected turns due to the gear movements

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Archmage

Arcmage, one of the best graphic design board games, is great for those who love magic and want to have unlimited power.

Archmage is ideal for 1 to 4 players aged above 14 and the playing time is 1 to 2 hours.

In this game, you’ll aim to control most areas and master the spells in the game.

The circuit board is composed of hexagons, which have specific requirements for where certain tiles can go.

For the setup of the game, you’ll distribute the tiles to their specific hexes, get your play board, set of spell cards, and finally, your set of Planet tokens.

You’ll get 5 points of movement that you can use for travel, attack, or exploration.

You also have the opportunity to attack the other players’ followers that are coming to your hexes.

You can collect relics that are important in the tiles because you can use them to turn your followers into magicians.

You’ll win the game if you have the highest score at the end of your last round, which is the only time when you’ll be counting your scores.

The mechanism of the spells in the game is unique, and they can help you do different maneuvers.

Pros & Benefits

• The rule book is full of information and very useful, but it is easy to comprehend
• The different stages of the game make it feel like you’re playing different games at once
• The design of the board game is evocative and drags you into the world of the game

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Lords of Hellas

This board game is great for those looking to take action in the times of ancient Greece in the body of an asymmetric hero.

This game requires 1 to 4 people older than 14 years, and the playing time is 60 to 90 minutes.

From the beginning of the game, you’ll get your Hero, and you have to improve his strength, speed, and leadership skills through adventures.

You have four ways to win the game: battle with the monsters, set up monuments to honor the Gods, control regions, and control temples.

Each region has two hoplites, which means that the heroes win the battle against them to conquer the territory.

When you conquer an area, you will receive god powers that originally belonged to the god who ruled that specific area.

You can make two choices per round which are regular or special action.

Regular actions include moving your Hero or the troops, while special actions have several restrictions before completion.

The game cards grant you special actions that you can use only once for one round, and you have a total of seven.

Your victory is dependent on your strategy and observing others’ actions.

Pros & Benefits

• The game has no point system, so you can decide to pursue any of the ways to win the game
• The design of the board game takes you to ancient Greece with miniature figurines of temples, monuments, military officers, and monsters
• High independence from other players

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Pipeline

This game is great for those looking to immerse themselves in the world of economic management.

The game requires 1 to 4 players above the age of 12, and the playing time is between 1 and 2 hours.

The idea of the game is a privatized oil industry, so you’ll start with a personal oil factory aiming to be the oil industry leader.

You can take actions such as buying pipes, making improvements, buying oil, and selling oil.

The game encompasses three years that divide the game into three main rounds, each having a limited number of turns.

You can take only one action for each turn, and you have to pay a fee if you want to take another action.

You’ll set up three different kinds of pipelines that refine the oil, and the oil quality will be better with longer pipelines.

In the game, being efficient is very important due to limited actions being available.

The richest player at the end wins the game.

The colorful pipes on the white background make an aesthetically pleasing design.

Pros & Benefits

• The limited number of actions makes you productive 
• Ideal for using economics- and business-related skills
• The clean design of the game calms you down amidst the challenging play

P for Pizza

Looking for a fun-filled family game night with one of the best graphic design board games?

Look no further than P for Pizza board game!

With this fast-paced word game, you’ll be shouting out words in no time.

Challenge yourself with categories like “foods that start with P” or “bald celebrities that start with B”.

Then, be the first to shout out the answer that links the letter on one card to the category on another.

Collect nine pizza cards to build your very own giant pizza slice and become the ultimate champion!

But beware, the color-coded categories make it a little tricky. Can you handle the challenge?

With three levels of difficulty, this game is perfect for players of all skill levels, and for 2-4 players aged 8+.

Plus, it’s plastic-free, making it an eco-friendly choice.

So why wait?

Grab a slice of the action and order P for Pizza board game today.

It’s almost good enough to eat! (But maybe order a real pizza if you get hungry).

Pros & Benefits

• Fast-paced and engaging word game
• Players shout out words to link letters and categories
• Collect pizza cards to build a giant pizza slice and become the ultimate champion
• Color-coded categories with varying levels of difficulty
• Suitable for 2-4 players aged 8+
• Plastic-free, eco-friendly choice
• Easy to learn and quick to play
• Perfect for family game night or group gatherings

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Runners-up: Wavelength

These games cover different themes and topics that may resonate with large and diverse audiences.

The outstanding graphic design of these ten games gives visual pleasure to people.

Making it easier for players to understand the mechanics of the game also helps the flow of the game.

These games, along with excellent graphic design, can make an evening with family or friends very exciting.

Owing to the different and unique themes of the games, players can learn a lot by playing these types of board games, and excellent design enhances the learning experience.

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